Take Chances.

Written on a Starbucks cup:

I used to feel so alone in the city.

All those gazillions of people and

then me, on the outside. Because

how do you meet a new person?

I was very stumped by this for many

years. And then I realized, you just

say, "Hi."  They may ignore you.  Or

you may marry them.  And that

possibility is worth that one word.

--Augusten Burroughs,

author of Running With Scissors

It will decide everything.

 "Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

Pedro Arrupe, S.J.

I really like this song and these lyrics

Lullaby for a Stormy Night - Vienna Teng

little child, be not afraid
though rain pounds harshly against the glass
like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight

little child, be not afraid
though thunder explodes and lightning flash
illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight

and someday you'll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning

little child, be not afraid
though storm clouds mask your beloved moon
and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight

little child, be not afraid
though wind makes creatures of our trees
and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand
and I am here tonight

and someday you'll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning

for you know, once even I was a
little child, and I was afraid
but a gentle someone always came
to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
and to give a kiss goodnight

well now I am grown
and these years have shown
that rain's a part of how life goes
but it's dark and it's late
so I'll hold you and wait
'til your frightened eyes do close

and I hope that you'll know

that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning

everything's fine in the morning
the rain'll be gone in the morning
but I'll still be here in the morning

Shine Brightly

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Source: A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994

Mortality

It means that you can never give up—

People are counting on you

People love you and need yours in return.

It means that you must never give up—

No matter how much it hurts

Or how hard it gets.

It means that you’ve got to live your life

To its absolute limit,

Its fullest capacity,

Until you think you might pop,

Bursting with alive like a hot air balloon.

You’ve got to live it for Kaitlin

And Tim Sharkey

And Jamie and Paige and Mike

Because they won’t get another chance.

It means you must never let your light flicker

Or dim—never let it extinguish.

You must always be your most

Brilliant, vibrant, wonderful, terrific

Terrible, awesome, unexplainable

Self!

Because you’re alive!

Because you’ve got shoes on your feet

And feet in your shoes!

Breath in your lungs!

Teeth in your mouth! A brain in your head!

Lovely eyes to take in

the lovely world all around you

and lips to be thankful

for every last
speck
of
dust.

What is this life we’re given?

We’re not meant to know—

The answers are not here,

Not in any concrete way.

But it means you must hold on with every last

Ounce of strength you can muster

To this
this life, this breath, this moment

Because you don’t know when it’ll suddenly—

Terrifyingly— much too soon— irrevocably— be

gone.

Rest in peace, Kaitlin Kenneally.  The world is much dimmer without your light shining brightly.

Demons

We all have our own personal demons that we struggle with.  Maybe it's depression, alcoholism, or unemployment.  Maybe it's a lost love, low self-worth, or poor self-image.  Maybe it's worry about a family member, terminal illness, or a chronic ache of some kind.  We all struggle with something, with some source of negativity in our lives.  It is how we react to it, how we deal with those demons that matters.  We can allow it to take over our lives and totally consume us, or we can learn to be positive and find the good out of any situation.  We can wallow in despair, or we can rise above.  We can focus on the love in our lives, rather than on negative feelings.  Who loves you?  Your family, your friends, your coworkers, your classmates, your neighbors, your spiritual community members.  We can focus on the ways in which we are blessed.  What are the good things that happened to you today, this week, this month, this year?  What are you looking forward to in the coming days, weeks, months, years?  What are your goals?  How can you make those goals come to fruition?

Everyone has bad days, or a day in which everything that can go wrong seems to go wrong.  But those days end, Mondays eventually become Tuesdays, and tomorrow is as full of possibility and light "as moonlight in a martini" (to quote Moonstruck, my go-to flick when I'm feeling blue).  So chin up--everything is temporary!

Eye Dropping on the 1 Train

Something interesting usually happens during my commute to and from Manhattan each day, most often on the subway.  Last week, it was a brawl between two silly peacocks who ruffled each others' feathers.  Way too much testosterone in one crowded car.  Today, I finally saw two people having a conversation in Sign Language from across the subway car!  I've seen it happen on the LIRR, but never on the subway.  It was really cool. 

I was trying not to eye drop (i.e. eve's drop on a signed conversation) and avoid being rude.  But since I was far away from the two men, I took a peek or seventy-two.  I was kind of bummed because I didn't understand a whole lot of what they were saying.  They were signing so rapidly and I was not familiar with many of the signs.  I understood some of it, but I guess that would be even more rude to document it here.  

Hopefully, my sign language vocabulary and ASL skills (grammar, expression, word-order) will improve.  I'm taking American Sign Language I at Hunter College, and we are required to not only do 20 hours of observation in a school for the Deaf, but we are also required to attend two "Deaf events."  Anyone want to practice with me?  Here's hoping!